Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Increased physical activity may strenghten adult joint cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability among adults. As the population ages, increased intervention efforts are vital to controlling the individual and public health toll of this chronic, crippling joint disease.

30 Oct 2005

First long-term study to evaluate repeated treatment with BoNTA for post-stroke spasticity

New research shows that repeated treatments of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) over one year after a stroke can improve muscle tone and reduce pain in the arms and hands, making it easier for patients to dress themselves and perform personal hygiene.

30 Oct 2005

Rimonabant appears to be very promising, especially for the treatment of patients with abdominal obesity

Overweight or obese people who are stout around the waist and abdomen are particularly at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

30 Oct 2005

Doctors adopt new checklist to ensure patients are asleep during surgery

At a meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Atlanta, new standards were approved on preventing a rare but terrifying situation in which patients wake up during surgery and sometimes feel excruciating pain without being able to cry out.

27 Oct 2005

Type 2 diabetes and depression can be a fatal mix

Patients whose type 2 diabetes was accompanied by minor or major depression had higher mortality rates, compared to patients with type 2 diabetes alone, over the three-year period of a recent study in Washington state.

27 Oct 2005

Needle free vasectomy

A new anesthetic technique for vasectomy that does not involve the use of needles has been shown to be safe and effective, according to a recent study presented by Dr. Marc Goldstein of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Department of Urology.

27 Oct 2005

Growth patterns before birth, after birth and into childhood reveal a risk of coronary heart disease later in life

The risk of developing coronary heart disease as an adult is more strongly related to childhood growth patterns than body weight at any particular point in development, according to a new study published in the Oct. 27 New England Journal of Medicine. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

27 Oct 2005

Beds closed as thousands wait for surgery in Western Australia

Many West Australians could die long before they are able to undergo surgery for painful conditions, the Australian Medical Association (WA) said last week.

26 Oct 2005

Women's sexual function improves when partners are administered Vardenafil for erectile dysfunction

Couples share wine, movies, vacations and bedrooms. Do couples also share sexual problems and solutions?

25 Oct 2005

Single blast of ultrasound destroys cancer cells

Scientists at the University of Dundee have demonstrated that cancer cells can be targeted and destroyed by a single blast of ultrasound according to an article published in leading scientific journal "Nature-Physics".

25 Oct 2005

Botox injections relieve severe facial pain

According to a doctor in Brazil the excruciating pain associated with inflammation of the trigeminal nerve of the head and face can be substantially relieved by injections of botulinum toxin A.

25 Oct 2005

When it comes to pain, women are in fact more sensitive

For centuries, it has been generally believed women are the more sensitive gender. A new study says that, when it comes to pain, women are in fact more sensitive.

24 Oct 2005

NK-1 receptor antagonists very effective at reducing vomiting after surgery

The results of a new Phase III clinical trial have demonstrated that a new class of drugs, called "NK-1 receptor antagonists," is more effective at reducing vomiting after surgery than the most commonly used drug, according to the Duke University Medical Center researchers who led the trial.

24 Oct 2005

Botulinum toxin successfully treats trigeminal neuralgia

There is another use for botulinum toxin which has brought relief to some who suffer from migraines and eye spasms. Botulinum toxin can also successfully treat intense facial pain called trigeminal neuralgia, according to a study published in the October 25, 2005, issue of Neurology

24 Oct 2005

Early nerve damage caused by repetitive strain injuries can trigger "sick worker" syndrome

...characterized by malaise, fatigue and depression, and often mistaken for poor performance, according to a study by Ann Barr, Ph.D., and Mary Barbe, Ph.D., at Temple University's College of Health Professions.

24 Oct 2005

Intravenous lidocaine and oral derivatives relieve pain from damage to the nervous system

Lidocaine and similar local anesthetics are effective for treating pain that emanates from damaged nerves, according to a systematic review of current evidence.

23 Oct 2005

Nitric oxide may help sickle cell patients

Inhaling a small dose of nitric oxide gas may one day help sickle cell patients avoid pain crises and live healthier lives, researchers say.

23 Oct 2005

Deep brain stimulation can lower blood pressure

The possibility of a patient lowering their blood pressure at the flick of a switch has been raised by research led by Oxford University, which shows that stimulating parts of the brain with electrodes can change a patient’s blood pressure.

20 Oct 2005

Fatty acids in the diet may play a key role in dry eye syndrome

More than eight million people in the United States, predominantly women, suffer from dry eye syndrome, a painful and debilitating eye disease.

19 Oct 2005

Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GKRS) is an effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia

"This has proven to be a safe, effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia patients, without the potential facial paralysis and long-term recovery experienced with conventional surgery," said Volker Stieber, M.D., co-director of the Gamma Knife Program at Wake Forest Baptist.

19 Oct 2005